Electrohygienic apparatus.



No. s37,R33. Patented Nov. 28,4899. ANTDN SCHNEIDER & ANDREAS SCHNEIDER.

n ELEcTRoNYQIENIc APPARATUS.

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INITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTON SCHNEIDER AND ANDREAS SCHNEIDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO CHARLES L. FORTIER, OF MILVAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ELECTROHYGIENIC APPARATUS" SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 637,833, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed March 17, 1898.

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that we,`ANTON SCHNEIDER and ANDREAS SCHNEIDER, residents of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hygienic Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hygienic apparatus, and refers more specifically to an improved exercising apparatus so constructed and arranged that the beneficial effect of physical exercise may be combined and experienced `simultaneously with the curative and invigorating effect of electricity.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, convenient, and inexpensive apparatus of the character referred to by means of which the operator may be subjected to an electric current while using the apparatus or may exercise therewith without being subject to the current or may use the apparatus simply as a means of taking electrical treatment without exercise,either one at his option.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of a preferred embodiment of our invention, the central portion of the figure being broken out to reduce the size of the same. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l, the scale of said Fig. 2 being reduced from that shown in Fig. 1 and parts of the apparatus being shown in different positions toshow the electrical connections more clearly. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View through the casing, taken on the indirect line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal vertical axial sectional view of the induction coil and connected parts. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view, partly in section, of an end portion of one of the elastic cables or resistance de-` vices, showing particularly the arrangement of the electrical conductors therein.

Referring to said drawings, A designates any suitable case or frame adapted to be supported upon a wall or the like, preferably at 5o about the height of the operators shoulders,

serai No. 674,166. No model.)

said case being herein shown as consisting of an oblong rectangular box provided at its front with a door A and having its back wall a extendedboth above and below the main body of the box to provide a suitable support through which the attachingscrews a' 0.2 are inserted.

B designates a pair of resistance devices, preferably and as shown in the present instance consisting of elastic cables or cords, each provided at one end with a suitable securing device by means of which it may be attached to the case A orother suitable fixed support, and at its opposite end with a handle or equivalent device constituting an electrode by means of which it may be grasped or engaged'by the hand or other part of the operators person, the securing devices at the attached ends of said resistance devices be ing desirably and as herein shown made in the form of open hooks b, adapted to engage with screw-eyes which serve as the securingscrews a', hereinbefore referred to, and the handles attached to the opposite ends of said resistance devices being shown as consisting of metal loops b', suitably secured to the cables by means of hooks b2 and provided with metallic grips b3. In the preferred form shown herein the elastic cables are made of rubber provided with a suitable fabric covering b4, so Woven or wound thereon as to permit the necessary extension and contraction of the cords.

C designates a exible metallic conductor embedded within and arranged. to extend throughout the length of each cable B, said conductor being desirably and as herein shown woven Within or made to form the core of the outer cord or covering b4, which is wound spirally upon the elastic rubber cable. The end portions of the metallic conductors C are secured in metallic contact with the metal thimbles b5 upon the ends of the cables and upon which the hooks b b2, respectively, are mounted, this connection being conveniently and as herein shown made by removing the covering of said end portions, so as to expose the metallic conductor and soldering or otherwise securing the latter to the interiors of the thimbles, as indicated clearly in detail roo Fig. 5. Desirably the hooks b or b2, or both, will be constructed to have swiveling connections with the cables.

D designates a block or other suitable support adapted to be secured against the wall ata point vertically beneath the case A and near the ioor. The block D is provided with a pair of screw-eyes d similar to the screweyes d', hereinbefore referred to, and adapted for engagement with the hooks b of the cables, and the block is preferably secured to the wall or other support by means of thumbscrews d', so as to be more readily detachable to facilitate its adjustment to different heights or positions.

Referring now to the mechanism whereby the resistance-cables and connected handles may be charged with electricity, E designates an ordinary cell-battery, which may be of any common or preferred make or construction, suitably mounted in the upper part of the case A.

F designates an induction -coil suitably mounted in the lower compartment of the case A. Said coil embraces the usual prim ary conductor f, having its opposite ends connected with a binding-screwf, mounted upon a cross-bar or support F', forming a part of the frame of the coil, and with a yoke f2, mounted upon one end of the coil, respectively, and a secondary conductor f3, having its terminals connected with binding-posts f4 f5, respectively, also mounted upon the cross-bar F'.

F2 designates the vibrator or interrupter of the induction-coil, consisting of a strip of spring metalf, having one end rigidly connected with a support]c7 upon the end of the induction-coil frame and arranged to depend thence vertically downward through the opening of the rectangular yoke f2, hereinbefore referred to, and carrying at its free end an armature f8, arranged opposite to and a short distance from the core F3 of the inductioncoil.

F4 designates an adjustable contact, herein shown as having the form of a thumb-screw, threaded through the side of the yoke remote from the frame of the induction-coil and arranged to bear at its inner end against the spring-strip f6 when the latter is in its normal position or unattra'cted by the core of the magnet. The said spring strip f6 is electrically connected with a binding-screw fg, mounted upon the cross-bar F', by means of a conductor f 10.

F5 designates the usual tubular metallic slide arranged to telescope over the core F3 and within the coils of the induction-coil, whereby the intensity of the induced current may be varied, the outer casing being provided with a suitable aperture opposite the said slide and through which the latter protrndes, so that it may be adjusted without the necessity of opening the door of the case.

G designates an ordinary switch mounted within the casing and having its terminals g g connected with conductors g2 g3, leading to one pole of the battery E and to the binding-post f', respectively.

g4 designates a conductor leading from the other pole of the battery to the binding-post f, and g5 and Q6 designate conductors leading from the binding-posts f4 and f5 to bindingposts a3 a4, respectively mounted upon the lower extension of the casing adjacent to the Screw-eyes d. The terminals or bindingposts a3 c4 are severally'connected with the adjacent screw-eyes ct by means of conductors a5 a6, and said binding-posts are also connected with binding-posts d2 d3, respectively mounted upon the block D by means of ieXible conductors Q7 g8. The binding-posts d2 d3 are in turn severally connected with the adjacent screw-eyes d of the block D.

The primary and secondary circuits through the apparatus as thus constructed and arranged may be traced as follows: Assuming the switch Gto be closed, the circuit will be from one pole of the battery through conductor g2, switch G, conductor g8, binding-post f', and thence through the primary coil to yoke at f2 through contact-screw F4, interrupter F2, and conductor f1@ to bindingpost fg, and thence by conductor g4 back to the opposite pole of the battery. The circuit thus closed energizes the magnet and attracts the armaturefs, thereby interrupting the circuit between the spring-strip f6 and contactscrew, whereupon the magnet loses its energy and allows the interrupter to drop back and again close the circuit, thus instituting and continuing the alternate making and breaking of the circuit through the primary coil. The circuit of the current induced through the secondary coil extends from the bindingpost f4 through conductor g5 to binding-post a3, thence to screw-eye ct and through the conductor of the cable or resistancefdevice to the handle of the latter, through the body of the person grasping the handles, back through the opposite cable to its screw-eye, thence through conductor a6 to terminal a4, and from there to the binding-post f5 through conductor g, thus completing the circuit as long as the operator holds both handles.

Should the resistance devices be attached to the lower pair of screw-eyes d, the secondary circuit would be from the binding-posts as a4 to the binding-posts d2 cl3, respectively, thence to the lower screw-eyes and through the resistance devices, as before.

The operation of the apparatus will be obvious. The operator, having closed the switch, will grasp one of the grips b3 of the handles with each hand, thus closing the circuit through the secondary coil, and will go through the usual or any desired series of movements byalternately stretching and relaxing the elastic cables. Should he desire a more intense current than that produced by the battery with the slide in its innermost IOO IIO

position, he may instantly intensify the current by simply drawing out the slide to the desired extent. When it is desired to exercise in a stooping position, to exercise the muscles brought into action by lifting, or to exercise the lower limbs, the elastic cables will be disconnected from the upper screweyes and hooked into the screw-eyes of the block D and the exercise continued as before.

Obviously any of the usual movements may be made With this exercising apparatus,- and it will be further obvious that, should the operator Wish, the apparatus may be used for physical exercise Without being subject to the electriccurrentbysimplyopeningtheswitch. On the other hand, should it be desirable to use the battery simply for its therapeutical effect Without the accompaniment of physical exercise, the operator Will simply close the circuit and grasp the handles, as in the case of an ordinary medical battery.

While We have herein shown and described the resistance devices as consisting of elastic cords, and these are deemed to be a preferred embodiment of this feature of the invention, yet it Will be obvious that the same idea may be applied to an exercising apparatus in which the resistance is in the form of Weights operated by cords and pulleys or in which the apparatus is differently constructed and arranged from that herein described, the essential idea being to combine a physical exercising apparatus With means for charging it from a source of electricity.

We claim as our inventionl. The combination to forma hygienic apparatus, of a frame or casing adapted to be secured to a Wali or like support, a pair of elastic cables forming electric conductors, each provided With metallic gripping-piece at one end and attached to said frame or casing at the other end, an electric battery and an induction-coil Within the casing, electric con.- ductors connecting the batteryin circuit With the primary of the induction-coil and conductors connecting the elastic cables in circuit With the secondary of the induction-coil.

2. The combination to form a hygienic ap` paratus, of a frame or casing adapted to be secured to a Wall or like support, a pair of elastic cables forming electric conductors, each provided with a metallic gripping-piece at one end and detachably connected With a xed contact device, mounted upon said frame or casing, at the other end, an electric battery and an induction-coil Within the casing, electric conductors connecting the battery in circuit With the primary of the induction-coil, conductors connecting the said iixed contact devices in circuit with the secondary coil, a block, provided with a second pair of contact devices adapted for engagement with the elastic cables, mounted at a distance from said casing and conductors connecting the contact devices of the block with the contact devices mounted upon the casing.

3. The combination to form a hygienic ap paratus, of a frame or casing adapted to be secured to a Wall or like support, elastic cables forming electric conductors and each provided With a metallic handle, hook eyes mounted upon said casing, an electric battery and an induction-coil Within the casing, electric conductors connecting the battery in circuit With the primary of theinduction-coil, and electric conductors connecting the pair of hook-eyes in circuit with the secondary of the induction-coil.

4. The combination with an exerciser comprising a movable electrode and retracting resistance, of a source of electricity generated independently of the exerciser, and automatic means for producing momentary pulsations of current through said electrode.

5. The combination with an exerciser comprising a movable electrode and retractingre; sistance, of a source of electricity generated independently of the exerciser, and means for adjusting the strength of current through the electrode.

6. The combination with an exerciser comprisinga movable electrode and retracting resistance, of a source of electricity generated independently of the exerciser, and an induction-coil and circuit-interrupter for increasing the physiological effect of the current.

7. The combination with an exerciser comprising a movable electrode and retracting resistance, of a source of electricity generated independently of the exerciser, an inductioncoil and circuit-interrupter for intensifying the physiological effect of the current and means for varying the strength of the current.

8. The combination with an exerciser comprising an elastic cable forming an electric conductor and provided with an electrode, of a source of electricity generated independently of the exerciser, and automatic means for producing momentary pulsations of current through said electrode, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. The combination With an exerciser comprising an elastic cable forming an electric conductor and provided with an electrode, of a source of electricity generated independently of the exerciser, and means for adjusting the strength of current through the electrode, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. The combination With an exerciser comprising an elastic cable forming an electric conductor and provided with an electrode, of a source of electricity generated independently of the exerciser, and an induction-coil and circuit -interrupter for increasing the physiological eifect of the current, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

1l. The combination with an exercisercom prising an elastic cable forming an electric conductor and provided with an electrode, of a source of electricity generated independ- IOO IIO

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ably connected with said cont-acts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our invention We afIiX our signatures hereto, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 14th day of March, A. D. 1898.

ANTON SCHNEIDER. ANDREAS SCHNEIDER.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. GRAVES, J. I-IALPENNY.- 

